The South’s Got Something to Say: Multiethnoracial Latinos and Outcast Racial Identities

• In Event: 41061 - Section on Latina/o Sociology Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Table 5: Latinx Communities, Fear, and Political Engagement

Abstract

This study examines the racial identities and lived experiences of multiethnoracial Latino individuals in Metro Atlanta, a city historically recognized as a Black sociocultural and political space. With increasing migration and interracial relationships, scholars have speculated on the evolving racial hierarchies in the United States, particularly regarding Latino populations and their placement within or beyond the traditional Black/white binary. Drawing on Bonilla-Silva’s tri-racialization framework, this research explores whether multiethnoracial Latinos in Atlanta experience racial categorization differently than in predominantly white contexts. Through qualitative methods—including in-depth interviews, ethnography, and photo-elicitation—this study interrogates how multiethnoracial Latinos self-identify, are racialized by others, and navigate the boundaries of race within a Black-centered city. Preliminary findings suggest that racial identification is fluid and context-dependent, with participants often experiencing misracialization based on phenotype and social setting. While lighter-skinned individuals sometimes resist white classification, darker-skinned participants frequently report being racialized as Black, regardless of their self-identification. Additionally, legal status, generational differences, and social networks further complicate racial identity formation. By centering the voices of multiethnoracial Latinos within Atlanta’s racial landscape, this study contributes to broader discussions on race, space, and power in the U.S. South. The findings challenge static racial frameworks and call for a more nuanced understanding of Latinidad and multiraciality in regions where Blackness—not whiteness—structures racial discourse.

Author

• Kayland A Arrington, Georgia State University